Brussels is the capital city of Belgium. King Albert II is the reigning monarch. Belgians speak either French or Flemish. Their currency was called the Belgian Franc. Approximately 40 Belgian Francs equaled an American dollar.

Belgium is famous for its lace and its chocolate.

The Belgian countryside is mainly farmland, dotted with cows and red-roofed houses. Blue flowered flax is grown to be woven into linen. There are bright yellow fields of sunflowers which are used for their oil.

Brussels is a very cosmopolitan city. It is the political center of the European Union. NATO headquarters is located in the city.

Buildings still remain from the 1958 World Exhibition, including the Chinese Pavillion and a model of the atom called The Atomium.

The old section of Brussels is called La Grande Place, a square of buildings which formerly housed the guilds.

One of the most famous sights of Brussels is a small fountain called Le Mannequin Pis. The city has been given over 500 outfits of clothing for him including an Elvis suit.

Restaurants line the alleyways. We ate dinner at a restaurant called Vincent's where we tried Waterzooi, a local specialty of chicken in a cream sauce.